Naruto Will Be Taller in The Last: Naruto the Movie

New information and higher resolution sketches of Naruto from the latest movie, The Last: Naruto the Movie, have been revealed! The Naruto we all know now in Naruto Shippuden currently stands at a height of 166 cm (around 5 feet and 5 inches). In the Last: Naruto the Movie, he is a bit taller at 170 cm (almost 5 feet 7 inches). One could also interpret what’s in the sketch as 173 cm (5 feet 8 inches). At any rate, this small growth spurt comes with a Naruto that has shorter hair, a more toned body, and more mature look!

The information is straight from the notes left by Masashi Kishimoto (the creator of Naruto) in his sketches of our hero. In the first drawing, Naruto has on a new outfit for going out on missions. In the second, he is wearing clothes that have something to do with Ichiraku Ramen. Is Naruto now also employed there or is this outfit worn when going out for a meal? That much isn’t revealed at this point, but we’re certainly curious on what it’s for!

The Last: Naruto the Movie will be making it’s debut in Japanese theaters on December 6, 2014. A short teaser will be broadcasted for the movie this week (preview screenshot below) during Naruto Shippuden on July 31st. Two characters confirmed to join Naruto so far in the movie are Sakura Haruno and Minato Namikaze. Their roles have not yet been revealed.

After this week’s episode, the Naruto Shippuden anime will be about 57-60 chapters behind the manga. We have to wonder how or even if this movie will fill in the gap between what’s happening in the manga for anime-only viewers. We also wonder just how canon this movie will be. Kishimoto-sensei will be involved in the development and supervision of an original story and character designs, but he also filled a similar role for Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie, which to us at Anime Games Online at least, was considered filler.

The Last: Naruto the Movie is being touted as the first step in celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Naruto series, known as the Naruto’s New Era Opening Project. There will be other, unannounced festivities to celebrate the occasion, including a Naruto Exhibition. Naruto began serialization in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1999 and the series has gone onto have sales of over 130 million volumes since then.